toilet-bubbling

4 Reasons Why Your Toilet Is Bubbling

One of the most important things about our homes is the fact that it has many of the fixtures and systems we need in our day-to-day lives. 

Whether that’s our kitchen stove, a water heater, or even just our home’s reliably clean toilet, our homes have many, if not all, of the important things we need for comfortable and safe living. So when we head to the bathroom only to catch the toilet bubbling after flushing, our concerns immediately skyrocket.

It’s entirely understandable, after all! No other toilet regularly sends bubbles and gurgles up into your bathroom. The bubbling isn’t a normal thing, but there are a few things that can cause it. Always consider where your affected bathroom is as well as how many of your home’s toilets keep gurgling since this can change the solution.

If you need professional help in fixing your bubbling toilet bowl, contact our team at Clover Contracting as soon as possible for quick and reliable help!

The Toilet Is Blocked Up

When it comes to answering the question, “why is my toilet bubbling?”, the simplest cause can often be the most reasonable. Clogs are incredibly common when it comes to plumbing problems. Fortunately – or unfortunately for some – a simple clog can be the main reason that your toilet’s unexpectedly bubbling and gurgling.

Depending on how bad the clog is, flushing can cause small amounts of water and air to pass through it. Eventually, the air gets pushed back up and out of your toilet, making that ever-concerning gurgle. If it’s only the one toilet that gurgles, all you’ll need is a plunger!

To get the clog out of your toilet’s pipes, just cover the hole with the end of the plunger and give it a few pushes. If the clog is closer to your end of the plumbing, you’ll only need a good ten to fifteen plunges, though it could take more effort for stubborn clogs. But, if you’re still plunging and nothing’s come up yet, you’ll need to try a drain snake or an auger instead.

Your Mainline or Drain Line Is Clogged Up

The most unfortunate issue when it comes to your toilet bowl bubbling is that, while there is a most likely cause, the clog itself can be anywhere in your plumbing. If the plunger, the drain snake, and the auger all don’t work then it’s highly likely that the clog is deeper. Depending on where your bubbling toilet is in your home, you might have a mainline or drain line clog. Either way, you’ll need professional help.

The best way to tell the difference between the two line clogs is by noting down what’s affected. A toilet bubbling on one floor of your home can be a simple clog in it, but if other toilets on the floor are similarly affected, you have a drain line clog instead. Drain line clogs only affect the single floor, meaning that if your toilet on the first or ground floor gurgles, your bathrooms above it won’t do the same. 

On the other hand, if every bathroom in your home has its toilet water bubbling, the problem is with the mainline. If you aren’t sure how to tell, flushing a toilet on the first floor of your home can often lead to the sound of gurgling somewhere else. However, mainline drains often lead to spots outside of your home, making them far more expensive and intrusive to deal with

Both methods of cleaning the clog involve removing – or digging up – a section of pipe to send a camera in to check and clean. If you have a drain line clogged, only one of the affected toilets will be removed, making it just a bit less intrusive. Both of these issues do require help from professionals, like our team at Clover Contracting.

Your Home’s Vent Stack Is Blocked 

One usually unexpected reason that many homeowners might not think can lead to their toilet bubbling is a blocked vent stack. As a part of your home, the vent stack is the small section of pipe that comes off the top of your roof. That same pipe is a part of your home’s plumbing system and is responsible for both the air pressure inside your plumbing and for releasing any exhaust gas.

The vent stack is always supposed to be open, however. Any exhaust flows straight out due to how it’s open to the air and absolutely nothing should be blocking it. But, since it is open to the air, things like animal nests can get into it and effectively create a blockage. The result is slow wastewater drainage and, as you might have already found out, a gurgling toilet.

Fortunately, this problem can be solved by clearing out the vent stack!

The Public Municipal Sewer Line Has a Clog

Of course, the only cause that can lead to a toilet bubbling is something affecting the public sewer line. These kinds of issues can actually happen more often than you might think at first, but it’s important to ensure that your plumbing is clog-free first. With all the waste, soap, and water that goes down your home’s drain, the chance of all of it clumping together increases. Add in a street’s worth of homes and the chance grows.

If none of the other problems are what seem to be the cause, try calling your neighbors! If you ask them and they seem to have problems with their toilets gurgling too, you’ll need to call your local water company or township to report it. Problems with the municipal sewer line aren’t your responsibility to fix!

Takeaway 

Hearing your toilet bubbling and gurgling every time you flush can be quite concerning, especially if it’s the first time you hear it. If you aren’t sure what’s causing it, you’re bound to get panicked. It’s important to avoid that since keeping track of which toilets gurgle can greatly help how you fix it and show you why the problem is happening.

If you need help dealing with a bubbling toilet or with any other problem, just call us at Clover Contracting!

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